The Best Body Scrubs for Men Buff, Exfoliate and Soften Even the Most Rugged Skin
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Body scrubs might not be the first thing you think of for male skincare. But body scrubs for men make achieving softer, cleaner skin incredibly easy.
Scrubs are basically gritty exfoliating washes. They’re good for deeper cleans, fighting acne, buffing and restoring dry skin and promoting new skin growth. There are face scrubs, which are a little more gentle for sensitive facial skin, and body scrubs, which have thicker body skin in mind.
To help deep clean your body skin, you can expect exfoliating ingredients like coffee, pumice, sugar, sea salt, charcoal, nut powders and glycolic, lactic and salicylic acids. Body scrubs for men can also include some rejuvenating ingredients like vitamin E and essential oils.
Thankfully, body scrubs are really easy to use and add to a routine.
How to use a body scrub for men
First, read the instructions. Most body scrubs are meant to be used on wet skin in a shower for easy rinsing, but others recommend starting with dry skin before rinsing. Because of their exfoliating power, you don’t want to use a scrub more than a couple of times a week or you may end up stripping your skin.
Once you’re ready to begin applying, open the tub and scoop the body scrub into your fingers. Now, begin to rub the scrub onto your skin in a circular motion.
If you’re looking for comprehensive coverage, we’d recommend starting at the top and working your way down, e.g. for arms, start at the top near your shoulder and work down to your hands. You likely won’t always need a full body scrub, so we’d also recommend targeting one or two dry, rough spots instead. The scrub will last you a lot longer that way too.
You’ll start to feel the scrub working its magic after just a few seconds of scrubbing, so you really don’t need to spend more than five to 15 seconds in a given area.
Once you’re sufficiently scrubbed, just step into the water and rinse. If you’ve never used a body scrub before, you’ll be shocked at how soft and clean your skin feels.
I have a lot of body hair, can I still use a body scrub for men?
Yes! I have body hair, so I share your concern. Body hair can make the scrubbing process a little more difficult in that you might need a bit more finesse, especially for longer body hair.
But whatever kind of body hair you have, it’s easy enough to use a body scrub. The key difference comes in the application and the scrub itself. Grittier, chunkier scrubs will inevitably rub and tug on body hair, especially if you’re scooping out a lot. For those scrubs, apply sparingly and rub more gently and slowly.
But for liquid exfoliant kinds of scrubs, body hair won’t be much trouble at all. You’re not much more likely to have a problem than you would with a liquid body wash, assuming your skin isn’t overly sensitive, to begin with.
In any case, the more targeted you are and the less scrub you use, the less likely your body hair will get caught up in the scrub. When in doubt, start with a little bit of scrub in an unseen hairy place for a test.
Now, let’s check out a few great body scrubs for men.
1. Jack Black Turbo Body Scrub
BEST OVERALL
The Jack Black Turbo Body Scrub is one of the best body scrubs for men for its gentle but effective cleansing and exfoliating. Sea salt scrubs away grime but hydrating ingredients and eucalyptus leave skin feeling soft and refreshed. Plus, you can use it as a muscle soak in a bath too to help rejuvenate tired muscles.
Buy: Jack Black Turbo Body Scrub $32.00
2. Necessaire The Body Exfoliator
RUNNER-UP
The Necessaire The Body Exfoliator works wonders with its gritty gel that becomes foam upon massaging. Physical exfoliants like bamboo charcoal and pumice as well as acid chemical exfoliants go to work on dead dry skin while glycerin and tocopherol (vitamin E) ensure your skin stays moisturized.
Buy: Necessaire The Body Exfoliator $30.00
Buy: Necessaire The Body Exfoliator $30.00
3. Brickell Men’s Polishing Body Scrub
HONORABLE MENTION
The Brickell Men’s Polishing Body Scrub relies on a gritty, fine walnut powder with glycolic acid to break down dirt and dead skin cells. If you regularly deal with body acne and blemishes, this body scrub can help.
Buy: Brickell Men’s Polishing Body Scrub $20.00
4. Drunk Elephant Sugared Koffie Almond Milk Body Scrub
BEST COFFEE SCRUB
The Drunk Elephant Sugared Koffie Almond Milk Body Scrub is one of our favorite coffee body scrubs. The combination of brown sugar, finely ground coffee beans, coffee seed oil and almond milk, a mixture of water, ground almond and almond oil, makes this body scrub a great exfoliator and moisturizer too. It’ll legit soften, wake up and restore your skin. One note of caution, the scrub does smell pretty strongly of its ingredients.
Buy: Drunk Elephant Sugared Koffie Almond Milk Body Scrub $28.00
Buy: Drunk Elephant Sugared Koffie Almond Milk Body Scrub $28.00
5. Body Prescriptions Man Scrub Tea Tree Exfoliating Body Scrub
BUDGET PICK
For a lot of scrub at a great value, check out the Body Prescriptions Man Scrub Tea Tree Exfoliating Body Scrub. It’s basically a sugar and tea tree paste. It’s easy to apply and promises to remove dead skin, leaving your skin soft, clean and rejuvenated on the cheap.
Buy: Body Prescriptions Man Scrub Tea Tree Exfoliating Body Scrub $13.99
6. Jo Malone Vitamin E Body Treatment Scrub
PREMIUM PICK
The Jo Malone Vitamin E Body Treatment Scrub is as simple and luxurious as it is effective. Vitamin E is a champion antioxidant perfect for restoring skin, and non-abrasive sugar particles exfoliate away dead skin. If you’re looking for a top-notch body scrub for men to leave your skin silky smooth, this is one of our favorites.
Buy: Jo Malone Vitamin E Body Treatment Scrub $108.00
Buy: Jo Malone Vitamin E Body Treatment Scrub $108.00
7. Sabon Body Scrub
LUXURIOUS BODY SCRUB
Typically marketed toward women due to its traditionally feminine fragrances, the Sabon Body Scrub can still be a luxurious body scrub for men. If you’re the kind of guy who enjoys a long bath and spa appointments, you’ll love this. With Dead Sea salt, vitamin E and moisturizing essential oils, this body scrub will leave your skin feeling incredibly soft and clean, if you don’t mind the fragrance. I personally love the Delicate Jasmine body scrub.
8. Aesop Redemption Body Scrub
BEST GEL BODY SCRUB
We like the Necessaire body scrub for men, but the Aesop Redemption Body Scrub is also a great gel-based body scrub. Pumice and bamboo stem work to clear away dead skin and grime while a bevy of essential oils like fir and pine leave you with a nice woodsy fragrance.
Buy: Aesop Redemption Body Scrub $37.00
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